The Shadow Knight
by tb0neski
Summary: After years of time on the battlefield, Jax has set out on a mission to find out the reasoning behind why the League of Legends exists and who started the first war that sparked the conflicts between the Darkin and the other multiple Ionian races. Along with him is Lux, an old comrade of Jax that has insider information on things that may help Jax connect the dots.
1. Chapter 1 - The Struggle

Chapter 1 – the struggle

In the League of Legends, there are warriors and heroes alike who work to defeat the forces of evil. There are many who wish to gain knowledge of their ancestors so that they may know who started the first war that has kept them in a constant struggle with fear of death and lust for strength. Unfortunately, it was just not possible for normal champions. Due to how the system was set up, the Summoner's Code prevented champions from being granted illicit knowledge of events from the past without further consultation from the Ionian Councils. This, however, did not stop Jax.

Jax was one warrior who was not just infatuated with the idea of power, but with the thought of resolving the violence that has forever enslaved millions of people into a never ending battle in the so called League of Legends. Jax had used his power not to bring down his opponents, but to continue on his path, recognizing that his power was a gift that needed to be used with good reasons.

After so long, Jax had gotten bored of the League of Legends, as he had so many questions that had gone unanswered for many years. He put down his lamp post right next to the weapon shop where many Champions would store their prized treasures and armor when they began fighting. The old shopkeeper noticed that Jax had resigned momentarily; as follows, he wanted to interrogate him. "You really are one of the oldest Champions to join the League, Jax. Is it getting so tiring that you must take a break?"

"Hmph," Jax barely gave notice to shopkeeper as he started walking out, but he slightly turned back to answer him, "It's more of a lack of answers, than a lack of enjoyment. These battlegrounds are littered with questions, and yet we do not know what we are fighting for."

"Heheh, I thought that it would come to this someday." The shopkeeper took out an old book from under his counter, and blew off the dust. "You may enjoy this." He handed Jax a book, but it was full of blank pages. It was written by the 34th Institute of War, and had cited evidence for the beginnings of the Summoner's Rift.

"But…why is it empty?" Jax knew this book had to have some historical significance, along with the answers he wanted. "Is there a way I can retrieve the information initially written in this?"

"Alas, Jax…The more you look for the answer, the more you overlook the reality of the question itself. Aye, I knew many a warrior that had taken a glance at this book, with a reaction similar to that of you. Some had passed away without getting the answer they desired, and some realized that the answer was nothing more than an illusion granted to them by the understanding of their past."

Jax took it upon himself to think about what the shopkeeper had said as he continued to walk out of the battlegrounds_. 'Understanding of the past, eh? How can it be that others can simply find the answers they desire without having detailed explanation? In fact, how does one fill in the blanks from zero? I cannot understand any of this.'_

Jax decided that it was not worth to think about the whole idea in his current state because he was still unsure about what he would do once he even was granted said knowledge. Instead, he took a trip to an old location of his – Ionia. He decided it would be better to find the answer he was looking for if he cleared his mind of everything and started from where he gained most of his knowledge and strength. Jax was a lone wolf before he became a mercenary, and due to that, he was still not widely known by his people. In the days that he was taught by widely known figures such as Master Yi and Karma, he was the only one who successfully completed his tasks with ease. This set him apart, but unfortunately, it also separated him from the rest. This made Jax more isolated from the rest of the Ionians, so he would soon leave Ionia for the League of Legends in hopes that he could train himself for future confrontations with Powerful elites that control information brokers and the system at large.

When Jax arrived, he took a long look at the new nation of Ionia that he had once admired. He was so caught up by the mysterious look of Ionia that he had lost sight of his surroundings. Suddenly, someone came from behind. "Well, I didn't think I would meet you here! How has it been, Grandmaster Jax?"

Jax has looked over his shoulder, to see his old comrade on the battlegrounds and old acquaintance, Lux. She was one of the few from Demacia that did not fear Jax, because she always used to fight and train alongside Jax. In sight of Lux, Jax was still focusing on Ionia. "This land has given me a lot of troubles lately. I'm glad you are here Lux, because I was hoping that you could help me with something that has been stuck in my mind for a long time." Lux didn't mind, and had gone along with Jax's sentiment. They decided to walk to the town pub to talk more about it and catch up on what both of them had been doing in the past few years.

Lux, anxious to talk about what she had been doing, started their conversation off. "I know you invited me here, but you just have to check out what I have been working on!" Lux put down a few things that she had been experimenting with at her laboratory at the Summoner's Coalition of Science, or the SCS. Among them was a device that would allow a person to feel the presence of nearby Champions who have previously registered with the League of Legends. "I have been working on coding that Summoner Spotify module for a while, but it's not a project I have been particularly fond of. The Council forced us to make weapons and radars out of simple machines like that, and they claimed it was for the purpose of protecting the integrity of the battlegrounds."

Jax was intrigued by a lot of them, but he was really interested in one that looked like a weapon. "What would this one be?"

"That's a quantum teleportation hammer. It was made to literally tear apart the fabric of time and create teleportation physics so that one could return to a distant past decision that they had made. I still haven't found out any source of energy that could sustain it enough to be able to properly use it." Jax had been away from the ideals of life for so long that he had forgotten just how great the inventions of humanity had been. "But forget about that ol' junk, I want to hear about you a bit. How is life on top of the ranks?"

Jax laughed a bit, while he put down the hammer. It was hard for Jax to explain how he had been trying to get away from the top ranks ever since he wanted to rebel against the Institute of War, but he realized that talking about such a thing with a high ranking official in the SCS was not a wise decision. "I enjoy having a permanent placing in the top warriors of the League, but I always feel like nothing about it makes any relative sense. I still want to figure out why we are still fighting after so long. That's why I took a vacation to this place so that I could become one with my past."

"I see. That's really valiant of you to move away from that hyper reality for a bit to join the rest of us for a while. It's great catching up with someone like you!"

They drank for a while, until after a bit of an elongated discussion when they started focusing on something that the SCS had been blocking from the public for a while. Lux put her third drink down, and said, "I really shouldn't be talking about this…do you think that you can make sure no one else but the two of us gets a hold of this information?" Jax nodded, as he was ready to listen in. Lux continued: "My boss has really been killing me lately over this new project on the history of the League of Legends. My team and I plan on assembling something together that would resemble a collection of classified Ionian documents which tell the details of the past. We are supposed to figure out the pieces to this puzzle so that we can eventually run a simulation that would mimic what happened roughly four thousand years ago and hopefully find the answers we all want. They don't know that we are doing this for personal reasons, but I wanted you to know because I bet it would be of interest to you as well."

"Mhmm, I see. What happens to those who leak official secrets to the public?"

Lux shuddered at the thought of it, because she just started realizing the magnitude of it. "We wouldn't get punished, we would be terminated. The system would no longer have any use for us, and they might even lock us up in prison indefinitely for treason."

"Then why are you telling me this? How is it that you can trust me so much?"

Lux had to take a moment to think about this, and then it all started coming back to her. "I think you are more than trustworthy, Jax. You used to be a great friend of mine back when we were forced to team up against the forces of Noxus. You wanted no one to get in your way of figuring out the past, and I guess that is something that I always admired about you. It seems like you aren't afraid of taking risks to pursue your dreams…and I like that about you!"

Jax felt flattered, but he also felt a bit uneasy since he drank so much. "Your words are kind, but if I sit and listen too long, i'll end up costing you a couple of bills along with that intel if I don't get a good place to rest soon." Jax put money on the table for his portion of drinks, and was about to leave. Lux stopped him, and said, "Stay with me." Jax looked back momentarily, and didn't think that her offer was serious, but then saw that she was giving a stern look. "It's not that I don't trust you, Jax, but I would rather you around me. Lately, I just don't feel safe in this town…"

Jax usually doesn't get touched by words, but he felt genuinely worried about Lux, seeing as she had been working away from Demacia for a long time just to attend the SCS and that she could potentially be in danger from intel getting leaked or attacked by middle class information brokers who want to know about the secrets that the Council has been keeping away from them. As such, Jax had given his okay to Lux's request, and followed her to Lux's house. Jax was worn out from the long journey that he had traveled the day, along with meeting Lux again, so he crashed and burn as he fell asleep instantly in Lux's couch. She understood, and put a blanket over him as she started going on her way to her own room. However, before she reached her door, her phone rang. She picked up, noticing that it was an urgent call from her boss.

"Hey, sorry that I missed your calls, master. How has the research lab been?"

"Lux, we have gathered intel to point to two facts. One, you are granting a known bandit a place to stay away from the authorities. Two, you have violated Article 15 Section 72 of the 'Non-disclosure agreement' of your contract. If you do not confirm to either of these, your contract will be shredded and you will be immediately removed from your present home."

"Wh-WHAT!? First of all, the only person who is home with me is Jax, and he is a Champion. Second, I have NOT shared secret information with anyone at this current point in time."

"Lux, I am afraid that your answers are a bit less than satisfactory. I will have to ask you to meet us at 7:00 in the morning so that we can discuss the legitimacy of your current position at the SCS. Please do not be late."

"WAIT! ...Shit." Lux realized that she was going to have a hard time explaining why she allowed someone in her house without first getting permission granted from her higher officials, as well as publicly explaining her job and what she has been working on. She started thinking about many ways that she would get out of the situation she was in.

'_I trust in Jax, more than I can trust in nearly anyone I know currently. Jax, I promise…I won't give up on you! I'll fight for what I believe is right!'_


	2. Chapter 2 - Rebellion

Lux had to get up much earlier in the morning so that she could get to work. Jax was slightly woken up as she locked the door and got into her car to leave for the SCS.

"From what I overheard…this has something to do with what she told me I think. I can't let her…leave like this." Jax was still very tired from crashing and burning into his slumber, but was determined to help out Lux in her current situation. Jax was not going to stop Lux, but instead follow her to see what was going to happen to her.

Lux had arrived at the SCS earlier than expected, and the headmaster of the Ionian Council was there at the front gate, along with two other soldiers and a person holding an ancient scroll. The Councilor started reading off the scroll as he greeted Lux.

"Luxanna of Demacia, good morning. You have been called here because we have gathered intelligence pointing to the fact that you have violated your terms of agreement, specifically the non-disclosure agreement. What is your rebuttal to this point?"

Lux gulped. "I feel that I was wrongly accused of this. There has only been one person to know of my personal work so far, but I am for sure that they have no idea what my daily work is like and how the SCS operates. This means that none of the secrets and specialties listed specifically to be kept hidden were violated."

The Councilor was not as easily appeased. He wanted more information before letting her off on that one simple point. "Who was it, and why did you try to give them information in the first place."

"Well, it was an old champion friend of mine, the Grandmaster Jax. I felt that he might want to know what kind of experiments I have been testing out to see if we would be interested in beta testing a specific program for us as a trial because he was very interested in understanding the past more, and I felt tha-"

"So you willingfully gave out secrets of our projects to outsiders. It appears you are still in violation of this rule according to section 76….a) participators in experiments held by the Summoner's Coalition of Science will not give information out to the following, but not limited to, information brokers, traders, other countries, and outsiders."

Lux knew that she was in a bad case already, but didn't feel like testifying to this point any longer. If she tried to oppose something and it was overruled, that would be immediate expulsion from the system.

"Secondarily, we have also heard that you have given refuge to said champion Jax. In 2045, the Grandmaster was in violation of the fair arms rule by the use of overpowered weapons on the Summoner's Rift. He is also fully written up with marks on his permanent record due to stealing information from brokers and other major trade dealers. Luxanna, I am sorry, but there is no reason for me to even ask how you can refute this because it is a blatant violation. How do you feel you should be punished for these?"

Lux knew that if she stalled for time, then she might be able to figure out a way to escape or get out of her current situation. She was already someone that was at-large to be fined or fired in the workplace at the SCS because she was not a native Ionian, and there had been many problems with spying in the past, so any non-natives were already on probation and medium level watch. Lux tried to do what she could to buy time. "I think that it goes without saying I am the hardest worker in my select group of individuals under the 34th wing of science at the SCS. The simulation we are holding is going to be of great usefulness to the empire of Ionia, and I would never take action to disgrace the Council!"

Jax was now close enough to Lux's location that he could see Lux being coerced by the Council to answer their questions. He was only waiting for the perfect moment to strike when they let their guard down so that he could get out with Lux.

The Councilor scoffed and stared once again at Lux. "You are not going to impress me with your dialogue, you stupid little girl. In fact, you are only showing me that you are trying to get away with being a traitor instead of accepting punishment where due. For this reason, I have no other option but to sentence you to prison for violation of your contract and treason."

Jax was getting his lamp post ready for a slam attack on the Councilor, but Lux started trying to fend them off by herself. "I may take orders from you people on a daily basis, but I REFUSE TO BE TREATED LIKE THIS!" Lux knocked the Councilor back with a fierce punch. The Councilor had broken his back, but gave one last command:

"SEIZE HER! CATCH THE TRAITOR AND HAVE HER EXECUTED!"

Jax had enough, and was just about to take out both guards to save Lux, but he was suddenly stopped.

"I wouldn't do that." Jax looked over his shoulder, to see Irelia, the Will of the Blades. She was one of the royal knights of the Ionian Institute of War. "You will be my opponent, Darkin scum."

"What the hell did you call me? Do you know about my past?"

Irelia blade surged over to Jax and knocked him to the ground. "Fight me and figure out yourself, you freak!" Irelia nearly stomped Jax into the ground, but he vanished. "W-WHAT!?"

'_I've always wanted to use this move.'_

Jax was above Irelia, empowering his lamp post so that he could deal a deadly blow. With a swift strike, he collapsed, and said "SURPRISE, I'M BACK!" Irelia was slammed into the ground, but she held onto the end of the lamp post with her left hand.

"Fight me without that weapon, Jax. I want to see how strong you really are." She focused her Ki strength into her palm, and completely shattered Jax's lamp post.

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! NO ONE CAN BREAK THE LAMP POST!" Jax was too in awe of how fast his weapon broke that he was caught off guard by an uppercut punch from Irelia. She was the fastest warrior under the Ionia knights, and she was even deadlier without her blade. Jax, however, was not much of a hand to hand combat champion. He wanted to retreat because he knew this battle would be lost if he didn't find a way out soon, but he kept on fighting anyway. He charged back with a leap strike, but got intercepted in air and slammed into the ground.

"You are the STRONGEST in the League of Legends? Don't make me laugh." Irelia held up Jax against a near board post, where she looked into Jax's mask. "Why are you so weak without that lamp post of yours? I know you are stronger than this, but you are hiding your power."

"I don't wish to exert a multitude of my power on a little girl from Ionia."

"Excuse me?" Irelia locked eyes with Jax as she growled back at him, "So I'm not threatening to you because of my feminine features?" Irelia threw Jax to the ground, and then stood him on his feet. "Punch me."

Jax was losing his balance, and could barely come in contact with his muscles. "Er…you bitch…"

"PUNCH ME!"

Jax clenched his fist, as he started to channel the inner strength he had. "Let's do this. HYAH!" Jax put the rest of his strength into this punch, but it was completely negated. Irelia caught the entire punch, and could have easily used her remaining force to break Jax's arm. Instead, she let him go.

"This is pathetic, Jax. I was hoping for the Grandmaster of the League of Legends, who had conquered the highest of the ranks. Not to mention, the descendant of the Darkin race. You should be able to defeat people with ease. I don't care what Ahri says, you are not the hero that Ionia needs."

"Wait…hero…Ionia?" Jax fell down, and blacked out due to the enormous pain he was feeling. Irelia looked back as she saw Jax fall down.

'_Ahri is surely wrong to think this champion could be the one we are looking for. I will keep my eyes on him, but I have strong doubts.'_


	3. Chapter 3 - Insight

The tone was very silent for the next day in Ionia. Sunday is the day where people are at home and not working, but this was not the case at the High Council. Lux was being tried for treason and violation of her SCS contract. The meeting soon came to an open when the Judge's hammer struck down on the podium.

"ORDER! ORDER! This court is now in session. May the Plaintiff please address their case."

The Councilor's bodyguard came up to speak for him. "We have found that the Champion Luxanna of Demacia is guilty of treason for brutally wounding Councilor Jireau of the 34th Ionian Council. Lux has also violated multiple individual portions of her contract between the Summoner's Coalitio-"

"I need to interrupt you very crucially…" The Judge looked down at the Councilor, and then back at Lux. He started bursting out laughing. "This small little girl beat you to a pulp? Bahahaha!"

"Your honor, this is uncalled for!"

The gavel came down twice again as he put the court back in order. "Even though this is one of the more interesting cases, I must say that there is compelling evidence that Luxanna is indeed guilty. Can we get a statement from the Jury?"

The crowd of Ionians had huddled around for a while. They were contemplating which side would be better for them to take, because they knew that both had costs and benefits. Since they had very little knowledge of Jax or Lux to begin with, they sided with the Councilor. "We find Luxanna of Demacia guilty of treason, your honor."

"Are there any other motions? Say now, or forever hold your peace…" The Judge was just about to wrap up the case with one final motion, until he was slightly interrupted by the door slamming open. Out of it came a new eyewitness to the case.

"I object." The person who came to testify on behalf of Lux was Jax. He came in at the very last minute, not realizing what he was getting himself into. Even though Lux was happy that her case was being extended, she feared for Jax's life.

"Why did you come here? You should've just saved yourself!"

Jax was impartial when it came to working with old friends. He very rarely had time to even contemplate the past that he had endured with his old comrades from the different lands of the Rift. However, one thing was certainly true – Lux was the only one that had strong emotions for Jax. In spite of this, Jax wanted to do what he could to help Lux.

The judge was not amused by his interest, however. "And who might you be?"

"I am the champion Jax, the grandmaster at arms. I have been reported to be associated with Lux in this trial, and it has come to my attention that my friend is being falsely accused."

The crowd all went silent, and sat down as if they were holding back on their decision. They knew Jax for his incredible power, and did not want Jax to know that they were nearly siding with the Ionian Council on the court decision.

"Well, I'm afraid that I cannot confirm nor deny this new position. The jury has already agreed on a decision of treason for Lux's case, therefore I cannot say if your statement can hold ground at the moment."

"You have to believe me, your honor. The Council that you are appeasing is trying to systematically get rid of all SCS members so that they can brainwash the rest of the Ionians to take over the past. They have been making experiments on time traveling to the old rift, which is also a violation of law."

The Councilor hardly budged, but laughed as he was unable to move his neck or his wrist. "What a pathetic attempt at covering up a traitor to this country." Jireau also stared at the Judge with his demon like eyes as he finished what he was saying. "I also have faith that you will officially close this case…that is, unless you wish to join their heroic rebellion and become terminated. The choice is yours."

The Judge had no control over anything that happened outside his court and what was given to him on face, so he knew that the Ionian Council could easily eliminate him if they wanted to. Knowing this, he slammed down his gavel three times and announced, "ORDER, ORDER! THE COURT HAS FOUND LUX GUILTY OF TREASON! THE PUNISHMENT IS LIFETIME IN PRISON UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! ADJOURNED!"

"What?!" Jax was going to go by Lux's side as she was about to get hauled oustside by the Ionian bodyguards of Jireau, but Lux halted him.

"Jax, I don't want you to get involved in this punishment of mine. Just promise me that you will visit me in prison…" The guards lashed onto both of her arms and proceeded out the door.

Jax looked back, thinking about everything that Lux had done for him. "Yes, I promise. I won't give up on you Lux…"

The rest of the day came down to Jax finding a new place to stay, but he failed. The main reason for his failure was the fact that Jax was actively wanted, since he was a bandit for his relation to Lux in the court crime, and his history throughout the League of Legends. If he could not find a place to stay by the end of the night, he would have to leave Ionia entirely. Jax knew if he was caught out by someone, then he would not be able to continue his search for the answers to his past.

Instead, Jax waited a few hours until he could visit lux in the Summoner's Prison, which had an opening to visitors that evening. Lux was happy to see that Jax came back, mostly because she had no one to talk to for so long and still felt bad for making Jax an active bandit now.

"Lux, I'm glad you are still alright. What the hell is going on right now? What is the Summoner's Coalition of Science supposedly doing at this point, and what does this have to do with that classified project?"

"It's hard to explain." Lux felt worried that someone was listening to their conversation. The original punishment for treason was just to be sent to prison for an elongated time until a serious punishment was instituted by the Council. If that same offender had been caught with the same crime, they would be immediately killed. "All I can tell you is that there are people around this town that have the answers you desire, and I don't mean regular information brokers. There are people you will see out on the streets of Ionia late at night who roam not for the purpose of patrolling the streets, but finding opportunities to meet when they are not being watched."

"Who are these people?"

"There is a secret council for more information on this. I only know the first bit of information because of my limited time working with Irelia as a support on the 31st support staff in the Institute of War during the first major battle against Noxus."

Jax wasn't very surprised to hear that Irelia had something to do with this. All the things that Irelia had talked about from their one confrontation had all but made sense at this point, but Jax wanted to know more. "What about Irelia specifically should I know?"

Lux had only partial time to work with Irelia because she was one of the first warriors to figure out the plots that the Ionian Council had to begin authoritarian plots. "She is easily the strongest of all the warriors I have met. Irelia has a really strong spirit, and with it, extremely strong emotions. She was never one to back down from a challenge, and she grew a bit of a temper because of it. That transformed her into more of an exile type character; that is…once she joined that council."

"What council?"

"She became a pawn for the system of Ionia. The King had chosen her to be at his throne for a day to stand ground for when battle came about. She figured out their secrets, and was tortured for days on end. She was stripped of her position and thrown out of the Institute of War. I remember her telling me that '_there will be a war within the region of Ionia very soon. I do not know how long it will take, I do not know approximately when it will happen, but I have been forming a secret Alliance with some of the top agents of each major area of Runeterra. I know you may not join me, but I trust you will understand this.'_ This Alliance that she has formed is located here in Ionia somewhere outside of the public. I wish I told you this earlier, because they know more about your past than I do."

"They do? Well, that makes me even more curious. I have to ask you one more thing before I leave, Lux."

"Yes?"

Jax was thinking back to when Irelia attacked him, and she kept saying things that plagued Jax's mind for a long time. He wanted to see if Lux had the answer. "Irelia recently approached me, and she completely destroyed me in combat. Regardless of that, she kept talking about how I was the hero of Ionia. She also mentioned something about Ahri being wrong about her assumptions of me and the Darkin race. Do you have any idea what this means?"

Lux's eyes widened a bit. "D…Darkin…The Darkin Race…" She stuttered for a bit, and froze up completely.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, I'm sorry Jax. Just hearing that name gives me nightmares, I'd rather not explain." Lux wrote down something on a slip of paper, and passed it to Jax. The paper said:

'_Irelia will answer all questions you have. She resides near the lake of Thymalia and will almost certainly be there in the next hour.'_

Lux was suddenly hauled back into her cell, while Jax was still perplexed by Lux's reaction to just a few words that might have harmed her psychologically at some point. Even though Jax wanted to know more, his only hope would be finding Irelia.


	4. Chapter 4 - Shadow of a doubt

The night was quiet later that day in Ionia. The regular information brokers and traders that roam the streets looking for loot were nowhere to be found. This meant that it was also more dangerous to be out because the regular bodyguards of Ionia were also out.

Jax was at ease knowing that his questions would be answered soon; the only thing he didn't like was that he had to get them out of Irelia, or so he thought…

It wasn't too long before Jax realized he was being snuck up from behind. "Show yourself."

"Why did you come here, you idiot?" Irelia came out of the shadows, with her blade surges pointed at Jax.

"I come here in peace to further investigate my past. Lux told me that you would help me find out the answers to the questions I have about my past and the original race of the Darkin."

"Is that so?" Irelia took down her blade surges, but still held her weapon at cutthroat positioning towards Jax. "What makes you feel like you can handle the truth of your past? I've faced many warriors like you who have claimed to hold the endurance to reach the strength they desire…only to die on the broken path. Which shall you me, Grandmaster Jax?"

Jax lifted his hand slightly. "I don't want to fight you."

Irelia was about to attack Jax, but was blown away by the wind. Behind Jax came a voice from the clouds. "That is enough." It was Sona, the maven of the strings. She was accompanied by Ahri, the nine-tailed fox.

Ahri helped Irelia up off the ground, and made a gesture towards Jax. "I'm glad you came here, Jax. I've wanted to see you for a while now." Ahri was the first out of the three in the secret council of Navori to believe that Jax was the hero that would help the common people revolt against the State. Jax was commonly known for being against authority ever since he left Ionia for the League of Legends.

Jax, while still impatient, felt prone to Ahri's charm. "I can only imagine why you would want to see me. Everyone wants to get a piece of the champ!"

Ahri laughed. "How charming, although I'm not quite in the mood for that just yet. I think I know exactly what you want to hear; why don't you come along with me so we can discuss your history?" Ahri extended her arm out to Jax as she took a step out on the lake. Jax was a bit hesitant because he felt like he would fall into the lake, but Ahri's spirit energy siphoned into their feet so that they could walk on water temporarily.

Jax was eager to know where Ahri got her information so he could be sure he was getting the correct information. "How do you know about my past?"

Ahri took a deep breath, and smiled at Jax. "I used to be a top notch Champion like you. The competition was a joke back when the Institute of War first created the League of Legends. I formed a party with a lot of the people you know well today, including Lux."

Ahri started to gradually get a darker tone as she delved back into her past when she figured out the scheme of the Ionian government. "We were just players at the time, but we soon became good friends in real life too. I remember one day we met, I believe it was this Saturday two years ago. Irelia came late, and she was panicking for our lives. I can only remember a bit of the details…but it went down like this from my point of view:

'_GIRLS, WE HAVE TO LEAVE…NOW!'_

_I was starting to shake at the thought of Irelia getting distressed because she never seemed to lose her cool so easily. 'What is it now, Irelia?'_

_'The Institute of War, the League of Legends…it's, it's not what we think it is! The government is planning on creating a thought experiment out of the League of Legends. It's all a hallucination to make us complacent with endless war. They're trying to control the population of the masses by forcing us to fight against each other in the virtual world that is Valoran. I overheard a conversation with Elder Fukijou that they were targeting our group specifically. They are going to kill all of us unless we separate!'_

_The entire group was shocked. Not only were we all fans of the Institute of War, but we couldn't take in the thought of being targeted by the government for just casually playing their game. I wanted to believe it was all a joke, but I realized Irelia was serious. She had recently been promoted to the highest rank any Ionian civilian has ever gotten in the Institute of War, and had been at their Banner of Command every night Friday to discuss the environment of Valoran. The government had been hiding it from Ionia for so long, but the discussions of Irelia and the majority of the people who were in the Institute of War led the Ionian Elder and the high council of the Institute of War to try and scout out Irelia and the rest of us._

_'Irelia, we can't run like this. If we are going to fight, we should stick together! We are a team, Irelia.'_

_Irelia gave me an awkward stare. 'I'm sorry, but I can't stand to think what would happen if my friends got caught. You need to leave this to me; I have high authority in the Institute of War. They might listen to me if I can get past their bloody council. In the meantime, please leave this place and find a safe place to go!'_

_I listened to Irelia, but met her before the rest of us headed out. I hugged the backside of Irelia and tried to calm her down as I implanted my spirit locator device. 'Irelia, you are my best friend. I want nothing but the best for you, and I promise to look out for you no matter where you go. I am going to give you my spirit tracking device so that we can know where we are if we ever need each other.'_

Jax was patiently waiting on Ahri to finish her story, but tears streamed down her face while she tried to stay in control. "Ahri, I know this is a bit rude of me to ask, but what does this have to do with knowledge of my past?"

Ahri sniffed for a few seconds and held her breath. Then, she continued her story. "I'm sorry; I just always lose it whenever I tell this story. This background information will be crucial for you to understand Irelia's position. I will continue now:

'_I went to go find someone to knock out so that I could have a nice place to stay. The big house that we bought got destroyed that night when the Ionian Task Force was coerced into doing Fukijou's dirty work. This went by fairly swiftly, because the Task Force only was asked to destroy the house, but had no further actions on the rest of our group or Irelia. Usually, I would use my charming influence to steal someone's heart and take away everything they had, but this was not the case for that day. Instead, I hid out in a backlot around the house where we all stayed. After the explosion went off, I followed an individual in the Task force and knocked him out. On him, I found his keys and a taskforce journal._

_At that moment, his phone also rang. It went to voice mail:_

_'Squad Alpha, I am going to send this message to the lot of you. Fujikou has just reassigned your group to a new mission. Irelia has been identified as a major threat to the high council due to her knowledge of the Party system and our plans for the Showdown. You are now assigned to bring her back, dead or alive. However, bring their party members back alive for further interrogation.'_

_I was scared, and nearly gave away my position when I screamed out Irelia's name. I hid the body in the shadows, and took away the journal and keys. This was the day that I got no sleep. Immediately, I called Irelia._

_The phone rang….and rang….and she picked up._

_"DON'T CALL ME YOU IDIOT, THEY WILL TRACE THIS! Oh no…SHIT, RUN!" _

_I was distraught with fear, and then I heard a loud speaker just a half mile behind me._

_'BRAVO, WE HAVE A SIGNAL. MOVE THIS WAY!' The task force was hot on my position. I was in danger of getting caught, so I ran to the woods. I had to hide there until they lost my connection. My spirit aura let me scramble their phone signals to the point where they had no clue where I was next. They found the body of the soldier that I knocked out, but they left to go back to HQ. In that time, I contacted Irelia this time with my Spirit Tracker. We used telecommunications with spirit waves to talk to each other – an untraceable signal._

_'Irelia…I'm safe. I have the journal that they used to document every move they made and what they were commanded to do. I also have one of their phones, but I'm really scared right now. What is your current status?'_

_'You shouldn't worry about me, I'm already screwed. They have my position, but I won't let them hurt any of you. I want you to read throughout that entire journal they have and gather important Intel, and look throughout the messages that they got. You are sure to find out something important. I'm certain this has to do with the first civil war that was started in Valoran and the Darkin race which conquered the early tribes of Ionia. If you can figure out more of that, we might be in good shape for a counterattack. I need to go, Ahri. Be safe, I trust in you…'_

_'IRELIA, NO!'_

_The signal died out…I knew that Irelia was in grave danger, but had to heed to her warning about the Institute of War. I was already targeted by them, and I knew the rest of our group would soon be targeted too if we didn't lay low for now. I read that journal later that night, to find out some horrific things. The Ionian Taskforce had documented a day of visit to the SCS along with top officials from the Institute of war. They were planning on harnessing the power of the old demon that nearly destroyed everything a few years ago…_

_That demon…_

_Was Aatrox…_

Jax's eyes started becoming unsteady. He always felt something hard at the edges of his stomach whenever he heard that name. Though he knew little about Aatrox, Jax despised him. He waited to hear the rest while Ahri continued her story.

_…The blood viles that they eventually took were converted into an lab experiment…They said that the power they used with the blood share would contribute to this new monster._

Ahri was holding off, but finally let go.

_Jax, you are the blood descendant of Aatrox._

The expression on Jax's face went from worry to absolute madness. The silence that was held between the two for a while was now gone, as Jax was beginning to lose his mind. "I…Ionia created me as a monster…The clone of the blood warrior." He held his hands up, and looked at them while trying to remain calm. Ahri tried to intervene so that Jax would hold back.

"I wish I didn't have to tell you this story, Jax. I am giving you all this information because I believe you can be the hero that we need to revolt against the Institute of War. More importantly, I want you to protect Irelia." She looked over at Irelia, and started to blush now. "Irelia was the only person who openly showed real affection for me. I'm nothing but a demon fox - a deceptive creature that uses lust to gain advantages over people. People looked at me like a monster many years ago, but Irelia was different."

Jax could see the connection that Ahri and Irelia had. It was hard for him to understand how Irelia felt, but now it all made sense to Jax. The reason behind why Irelia was on an emotional rampage was her protective nature of Ahri. She wanted someone that could help them both and be able to understand their struggle.

"What happened to Irelia?"

Ahri wish that she wouldn't have to explain this part. She got emotional just mentioning their separation, but it only got worse as time went on. Ahri sighed, and was about to explain. As soon as she opened her mouth, Irelia appeared behind Ahri and held her hand on Ahri's shoulder. "No, let me explain what I went through. I won't put you through more pain, Ahri."

Ahri looked over a bit, and a single tear of joy felt down her right cheek. With that, Ahri went across the lake to start her daily meditation.

"I'm sure Ahri already told you what happened on that day when she figured out you were the monster that the Institute of War had created. You were originally supposed to be a controlled experiment used to crush the rest of Ionia after they revived Aatrox." Irelia threw down her weapon to the side of Jax, and leaned in closer to his face. "But I want you to know, It's not that I don't trust you. It's that I fear for you."

Jax felt uneasy at what was going on. No one was ever in a position to say that they wanted to protect Jax; it was always Jax being the bigger man in every situation. The incredible strength of Jax always went unmatched, so he never grew to understand what it meant to be protected or loved by anyone.

"If you fear for me, why would you try to kill me?"

"Because I hate you." Irelia moved back to her original position, as she closed her eyes and started to contemplate where she wanted this discussion to move. "Think about it this way. I was once in a position of power that I could move around the power structures in Ionia like pawns on a chess board. I realized how much power the state controlled, and the corruption that took place in the high council. The entire dedication of the council was to eliminate those who seek endless power, but that contradicts their recent moves."

Jax scoffed. "What does this have to do with me, however?"

"You don't understand yet?" Irelia dashed behind Jax, and leaned on his shoulder. "You're impossible, I swear. Let me explain in detail."

Irelia took off her back armor, and stripped part of her shirt to reveal what seemed like a bloody tattoo on her right shoulder.

"What is the meaning of this, Irelia?"

"This is the torture they put me through. This tattoo is their version of a death mark. It is to represent a person who is no longer of service to Ionia and to be instantly eliminated. I was beaten, torn, bruised, and abused in that damn institute. I thought that through power, I could shelter my friends. I realized how power tends to lead to authoritarianism in the mind." She lifted back up her shirt, and started to sit down as she recalled her days in the Institute of War.

"The Darkin race was a façade; a system used to control Valoran by the systematic annihilation of society. Ahri talks of you as the savior of our kind, but yet you are an object of the high council. Your amount of power allotted you to becoming one of the best in the League of Legends, but THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED. They wanted you to become a ruthless killer, and now you are going to say you have found this dichotomy between you and your past now?!"

Jax could understand where Irelia was coming from, since she was marked for death by the same power structure that created the Darkin race which Jax was a part of. "I wish I could understand right now. It's hard to take all of this in right now…I never knew what I really was until now. I knew that I was on the path to become a warrior, but this power was foreign to me."

The wind was getting stronger now, as both of them were totally distant from each other. Jax tried to bring the discussion back to what he came for.

"I only wanted answers, but now that I know what I am…I think that is enough for me to say that I hate my existence as well, Irelia. The pain of knowing I am a descendant of that scum Aatrox burns my soul, but I was asked by Ahri to protect you."

Irelia got up and moved toward Jax again. She held her fist over Jax's head, and dropped a golden necklace in his hand. Then, she took her weapon and walked away with one last message:

"We all have our stories, our pasts, our heights, and our struggles. Don't…ever…act like you know my struggle, you fool. Keep that necklace; I want you to remember me when you see it. I hate you, but I want to protect you."

Jax was star struck for a moment. He put on the necklace, and realized what this meant for the rest of his time in Ionia. He went over to Ahri, and interrupted her while she was in her meditative zone. Jax lent out his hand to help her up, and immediately started questioning her.

"Irelia gave me this item, what is its significance?"

Ahri's eyes enlarged and she held it against her chest. She thought to herself for a second…

_I remember when she showed me this, it was a few days after we met for the first time._

'_Ahri, I want you to have this necklace one day. It's a sign that I will always be there for you. My Dad gave it to me when I was little and said that it is a sign for the person you love and want to protect. Ionia's top thieves were always after this, and it shows that I will do whatever I can to keep that necklace alive with you!'_

_She really feels strongly for Jax, I can see. This necklace was supposed to be mine. I wonder if this is what it feels like to be friend zoned…Hmm_

She snapped out of her thoughts for a second. "This is a precious jewel made for those with strong bonds. I think Irelia secretly likes you, but you should give her time for now."

Jax was sure that he was dreaming at this point. This conflicted so much with what he thought would happen, but he remembered the day he left the Institute of War.

'_The book is empty, because my history is blank. I left because there was nothing for me in that future. I think this future is favorable for the way that I want to live. Now, I just need to continue on writing the chapters…'_


	5. Chapter 5 - The Relic of Power

Jax crafted a new weapon overnight before we would leave on his journey. He combined parts of bamboo to make a similar weapon to that of his lamp post.

"Pfft, imagine if I had a real weapon!"

Sona came by silently to check on Jax. "I hope you have been well acquainted with your mission. It's very important to the entirety of Ionia."

"Uhh…" Jax was thinking about everything that Ahri and Irelia talked about. Even though they helped Jax understand the situation that he was taking when he joined this hidden group, they never explained why they wanted Jax or what he would have to do.

"I'm not surprised; those two always seem to forget the important thing in the present and instead reminisce about the past. I always remind them that the past isn't changeable, but working now to change the future can heal the wounds of their past. Anyways, we need you to retrieve pieces of the Relic of the Ancients from Riven, Karma, and Jayce. This is not an easy journey, and you will certainly have difficulties obtaining all three pieces."

"What is the importance of it?"

"It has historical significance. It also will help aid you in your inevitable battle against the blood demon, Aatrox. We need everything we can to defeat him."

"I see." Jax got up on his feet and already started to walk off. Before he could leave, Irelia confronted him again.

"Jax, are you leaving so soon?"

"I have to! Waiting is not an option."

Irelia shook her head. "Not that, you idiot. I hope you realize how difficult this mission you are going on is. This is something that the Institute of War has been pursuing for a long time and they have failed multiple times."

Jax still moved on. "I don't care what the difficulty of it is-"

"I WANT TO GO WITH YOU!" Irelia's words now halted Jax where he was. "I told you that I wanted to protect you, and your reply was that you wanted to protect me as well. I need you alive to revolt against the Institute of War." Though Irelia was still shy for her emotions around Jax, she didn't hesitate in grabbing his arm and hauling him down the hill.

"This wasn't in the Terms of Agreement!"

Ahri and Sona laughed in unison together as they saw the two run down the hill as they went on their mission. They knew that they would pair well, even though both of them were nearly opposites.

"I fear for their survival, Ahri." Sona chimed on a more serious note when she started thinking about what they were about to take on. "Do you remember the first time we encountered Karma outside of the rift?"

"I do, Sona. She is the strongest native in this land. But, I think those two can overcome her. There's just something about that Jax…he seems passionate about his goals and the things he wants to protect."

'_The strongest native in this land, Karma…She holds the secrets of all the Ionian Elders who protected this land from Noxus and alike in all the wars we fought in. Their strengths, powers, and everything they had were but a gift to be inherited by the land's genius of spirit energy. Even if we were not able to defeat her as an early squad, I know you two will not disappoint us.'_

The journey was a long but bountiful adventure for the duo of Irelia and Jax. Neither of them had many similarities that could help them mix in battle, but they still had one common goal: The downfall of the system that wished to enslave their generation and onward. To do this, they had to get the Relic of the Ancients. During the last war between Noxus and Ionia, the High Council distorted the abilities of the Relic into three pieces that were retrived by trustworthy champions so as to keep their enormous powers out of the hands of evil. Ironically enough, the council was coerced into revealing the positions of all three relics by the Institute of War, which failed in retrieving the pieces for several years. The reason being was that all three of them were unwilling to give away their Relic without some sort of a fight.

Karma was the first that they would go after due to their relative position.

Irelia guided Jax in the correct direction with her sense of awareness around Ionia. "Karma lies in the Eastern Woods, near the old lake with the temple shrine. If we follow this path, we should be there very soon."

Karma had lived in her earthly shrine ever since her house was destroyed. The last thing Karma could call home was the old shrine that she used to practice spirit meditation with various other mages in Valoran. It was abandoned before the war, when the mages of Demacia started leaking vital information to traders and brokers inside Ionia.

"Irelia, can I ask you more questions about that mark on your lower right shoulder?"

"If you must, but make it quick and concise."

Jax was intrigued by Irelia's struggle, because he had his own struggle with the inner demon that once possessed his body before he became a champion on the rift. "Do you feel cold at night, when you are alone by yourself and you have no one to surround you?"

"What…what are you talking about?"

"It may be an odd question, but it seems like we are similar in the way that we have been affected by the Institute of War. It may not be the same death mark that they bestowed upon me, but I know it cannot be normal. Anyways, do you just ever get any odd feelings or sensations when you are alone?"

Irelia stopped momentarily, as she shook the ground ferociously in frustration. "How can you compare yourself to me, god damn it?" Irelia took a jab at a nearby tree, and broke it with the flick of her fist. "Why do you think you can figure me out so easily?"

Jax didn't even attempt to give notice to her anger. He kept moving while Irelia was waiting still. "The difference between you and me is but one in the same. I won't frustrate you any more with my questions if you feel uncomfortable."

Irelia took her fist out of the broken tree. "Hmph, fine!"

They continued to the Temple shrine, where they saw a gleaming light coming out of the temple top. "It looks like we are here finally."

"Be cautious, grand master. She may look calm, but Karma is a very dangerous opponent."

Irelia and Jax entered the temple at the same time. The gate closed appallingly behind them, which startled Irelia. They also noticed that the candles on the edges of the door that led to the room with Irelia were no longer lit. It was as if a swift gust of wind had blown out the candles in an instant. The room was completely dark.

"Irelia, can you hear me?"

"I'm right behind you, idiot!"

"Well, excuse me princess! I forgot the luxury of having two eyes and ears to have proper understanding of your surroundings. What exactly is going on here?"

"Die."

A dark voice crawled over their ears like sharpening blades. They heard a small earthquake near them, and Irelia shoved Jax to the ground. "Get down!"

_SWOOSH_

The door swung open, and light was shone upon both Irelia and Jax. Irelia was right on top of Jax and hugging him out of fear for what was in front of them. Out of the door was none other than the Enlightened One, Karma.

"I apologize for the entrance. This temple was full of artifacts that have been a top priority for thieves in Ionia to steal, so we setup multiple traps in case this temple were to be pursued by any more outsiders or people who wish to steal from our righteous shrine. Now then, who might you two me?"

Jax got up, even though Irelia was still clinged to his back. "My name is Jax; I am the grand master at arms and the ultimate champion in the League of Legends. This is my partner, Irelia."

"I see that she has quite the connection with you…" Karma noticed Irelia shivering still on Jax's back. "…it seems the connection is more physical than spiritual."

Irelia soon realized her position and what was going on. She pounded Jax into the ground immediately.

"IDIOT! HOW DARE YOU…" Before Irelia continued, she realized Karma was in front of her. "K-Karma! Where have you taken the Relic of the Ancients?"

"That is what you are after? I see…come follow me."

Jax patted his head as he followed Irelia and Karma into what seemed to be a huge but empty shrine. It was in the center of 4 gigantic statues that resembled the gods that protect Ionia. In the center, Karma knelt down on the Ionian circle of light. This was the signifier for all those that met up with Karma and similar Ionian mages that Ionia was the light to guide the rest of the nations out of darkness.

"I have briefly been asked by many…_unwanted guests…_namely from the war institute for my ancient relic. This is my most prized possession, and you wish to take it for free?"

Jax wanted to know what they could get for it. "Is there some sort of a catch? We knew it wouldn't be free, but what do we have to do?"

"I only trust those who are worthy of carrying on my powers. I despise all sources of evil, and wish to gleam light and justice upon those who wish to take away the sacredness of Ionia. For all I know, you too could be hire by the Institute of War to steal my powers for evil. Therefore, I must challenge your spirits. I know both of you have demon energy, I can sense it…" Karma looked at Jax at this moment. "You in particular…the descendent of the bloodthirsty demon Aatrox…You would be better off dead."

"What the hell did you say?" Jax became angry, but it felt like that's almost what Karma wanted, so he held back his anger momentarily.

"Enough!" Karma's spirit energy turned on. She started glowing and shined from the center of the inner circle. Karma's spirit energy was also so massive that it pushed back Irelia and Jax to the walls. "I will be the one to judge your will. The only person who can prove which spirit they will fight with when they master my technique of massive spirit energy will be you."

The Temple started to seem like it was collapsing on top of Jax and Irelia. However, there was no trembling or shaking from the ground up. The building was coming down on its own. Jax and Irelia ran into the center, where there was an opening from the ceiling.

This began the determining fight.

The lake they were surrounded by started to tremble. Out of it came two twin water dragons, which were controlled by Karma. They splashed into the ground, causing Jax and Irelia to fall into the lake.

"We won't be able to take down the dragons on land. We need to use teamwork, Jax." Irelia yelled this, and looked over to see Jax on his knees with his spear right in front of him. She saw a radiating energy come out of Jax.

"Blood…"

"JAX!"

"I want…" The energy overflowed as Jax started to get surrounded in a red cloak of bloody fire. It seemed that the damage caused from Karma's twin dragons brought out the demon in Jax that resembled the advanced form of Aatrox. "BLOOOOOOOD!"

Jax slammed the water, and rushed atop the dragon's head. The heat from his cloak was making the dragon steam at very high temperatures.

"No, this can't happen!" Irelia had to watch as Jax was being eaten away by the demonic energy of Aatrox

'_Irelia, remain calm…' _Ahri's voice appeared, but she was nowhere around Irelia.

_'Ahri, is that you?'_

_'I am using my spirit vision to look through your eyes and communicate with you. I want you to use whatever force you need to so that Jax can reverse his demon energy.'_

_'It seems like he has lost all control, how will I accomplish this?'_

_'Use that necklace that you gave him. It has synchronization powers that you can use to calm his spirit.'_

_'Understood.'_

Karma thought that Jax would soon lose all control, but then he noticed a green chain that linked to his spirit energy. The source was Irelia, from the ground where she was focusing her mental strength and spirit energy.

"Czar'au kime deo las…" She held her hands together. "Rest!"

Jax's body was being isolated, and the dark, demon energy was crowded out by Irelia's spirit. Jax fell unconscious into the lake.

'_Where…what…am I…'_

_'Please wake up, Jax!'_

_'Irelia, where are you? I'm stuck inside this dark void…it's cold, and I can't see anything.'_

_'Your demon energy let loose, but I sealed it away for the moment.'_

_'What is going on right now…I can hear someone crying in the distant…am I even alive?'_

Irelia knew that the longer they waited, the more danger they would be in. Irelia's energy would drain faster the longer that she held this technique.

_'I need to cut this short, Jax.' _Irelia found Jax, where he was being stripped of all his human qualities. He was fading to black. '_Quick, grab my hand!'_

Jax held out his hand, as the rest of his body was seemingly disappearing. He closed his eyes, and fell on the ground next to Irelia. He opened his eyes to see Irelia's face.

'_Why did you save me…?'_

_'You were right.'_

Jax was confused at what Irelia meant by that. Then, he started thinking back to earlier when Irelia got angry at a statement he made.

_'I wanted to deny any similarity that I held to you, but I really do know what being alone feels like. I know that feeling at night of being extremely cold and trapped inside the dark. I tried to deny my past, but I have realized throughout up until now that it has only caused more and more people pain. The ones I have held closest are the ones that I should be keeping out of danger, but my selfishness has gotten on the way. I need you to…wake up…'_

_Irelia got closer to Jax…and closer…and Jax opened his eyes…_

Jax was on the ground right by Irelia, who was exhausted from using so much spirit energy. "Jax…I can't move. Run from this place…"

The twin dragon roared, and fired off a water cannon at Irelia's location. Jax stood in front of her and blocked off all the damage. "Sometimes you really need to just shut up…"

Now, Jax was harnessing his own power. He waited for the next time the dragons roared again, and began to strike. He slammed his staff into the neck of both dragons, and they split off. Now, the dragons turned into water hurricanes. Irelia opened her eyes one last time to see Jax get shredded in between the shockwave. Ahri also saw this, and realized what Jax was doing.

'_Don't close your eyes, Irelia. Jax will not lose this easily.'_

Ahri had confidence that Jax knew what he was doing. Inside the shockwave, they saw Jax swinging his staff around in his hand. Then, Jax came out of the shockwave with no damage dealt to him.

Karma was shocked. "That's impossible! He used a counterstrike to dodge the rest of my dragon's shockwave. Jax really does live up to the legend that I have heard of."

"SURPRISE! I'm back!" He swung the rest of his counterstrike downward to dispel the shockwave. The dragon's body collapsed and fell back into the lake. Karma came down from the light, and presented Jax with his reward.

"Here you are, Jax. This is the Relic of Power – it grants massive amounts of magical and spiritual power. You and your outstanding partner deserve its contents and I can say for sure that you are not the demon that I was told of. I am truly sorry for my misrepresentation of earlier."

"What about Irelia?"

Karma walked over to Irelia. She held her head over Irelia's chest, and heard Irelia's heart pounding. "She is alive, but her strength is diminishing. Give her that relic once you get back to a place where she can rest, and have her read it. It will help Irelia contain her spirit energy and give her more perseverance in battle. For now, I will do what I can."

Karma formed a green sphere in her hands, and laid it over Irelia's chest. It slowly made her vital wounds disappear. Jax then took Irelia on her back, as he headed on out and thanked Karma for her work.

"Wait. There is one more thing I must tell you." Jax came back over, and Karma immediately started talking.

"That technique Irelia used on you to seal your bloody rage was an old technique that was probably given to her by the Institute of War. It contains massive side effects, and even paralyzes one's body for a long period of time. I created that ability many years ago when I was used as a medic in battle. In short, it's a soul bond that connects the user's spirit energy to whoever is connected to the other end of the chain. I sense she has strong emotions for you, since it is a dangerous technique to use improperly. If she uses that again and something goes wrong, the death mark on her shoulder will start glowing and cause her to lose control."

Jax was struck by her vast knowledge, but was more curious about how she knew about Irelia. "You didn't see her body at all, how did you…"

"I was a part of that High Council that gave Irelia the mark of death. The reason I left that place was because I disapproved of their torturous, evil ways that they started to go about in the Institute of War. Corruption and greed have ultimately destroyed the only place where I had a position of power inside my hometown after the war. They made the death mark specifically so that Irelia would never be able to overcome them, since it amplifies pain to the equivalent of how much spirit energy a person uses."

"I see…what should I do to prevent anything bad from happening?"

"Protect her. Hold her close, and never let her go. Even if you two do not see eye to eye, I can tell you that you are precious to her. Your struggles will be her struggles, and you must oversee how she does after learning the techniques that I have dispelled into that relic you have. Can you do this, Jax?"

Jax felt this was nearly pushing it, since he hated the idea of being one's guardian. However, he had few options with the path that he wanted to pursue. "Yes, I will do this to the best of my abilities."

"Then go on…I imagine that you will probably seek the rest of the relics that are held. For now, you should focus on getting Irelia to a safe position where she can rest."

Jax nodded, and went on.

Karma started to think back when the Institute of War announced their blood transfusion of Aatrox into an experiment called Jax. It was one of the most horrifying things she had seen. Even now, it had almost been released once again. Yet, Karma was confused.

_'Nothing about this warrior seems to resemble that blood demon that I witnessed ages ago. It may be that Irelia has unlocked the emotions that Ionia wanted to keep away from Jax. I hope he can learn from his battles, because he will most likely decide the future of my land that I used to call home…Farewell, brave Jax.'_


End file.
